Ice-velocipede.



No. 638,575. Patented Dec. 5, I899.

W. GUAY.

ICE VELOCIPEDE.

(Appliatioxi filed Jan. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

lhvrrnn STATES A'TENT Eric's.

XVILFRID GUAY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ICE-VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,575, dated December5, 1899.

Application filed January 26, 1899. Serial No. 708,449. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, WILFRID GUAY, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada,residing in Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a velocipede designed to be used on ice.

The object of my invention is to provide a velocipede of the classdesignated above that is light but strong and durable, inexpensive, andeasy to propel and steer.

Furthermore, my object is to produce an ice-velocipede by utilizing theordinary bicycle-frame as one of the elements therein, in which the rearrunner is located directly beneath the driving wheel, with relation towhich it is adjustable to the extent necessary for said wheel to strikeits spurs deep enough in the ice to properly propel the machine.

That my invention may be seen and fully understood by those skilled inthe art, reference will be had to the following specification andaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of myinvention; Fig. 2, an enlarged rear end elevation of the same, the upperterminalof the rear fork being broken off; and Fig. 3, a top View of therear runner.

Similar letters and figures of reference designate like parts in thedrawings and specification.

Referring to Fig. 1, the ordinary diamond frame of a bicycle is seen,consisting of the rear forks a and b, the tubular braces c, d, and e,and the head f, in which is mounted a steering-post terminating at thebottom in the front fork f. The said frame has the usual seat g mountedthereon, and the steering-post is provided with the handle-bars andhandles common to bicycles, as indicated at h and 't'. The said frame isfurther equipped with the sprocket-wheel j, cranks 7t, and with thesprocket-chain m, connecting the wheel j with the sprocket-wheel n, faston the rear axle 1. Up to this point the parts are old and familiar.

The axle 1 is journaled in the rear end of the frame, and the hub 2 ofthe driving-wheel 3 is fast to the center of said shaft between thebifurcations of the forks a and b. The

- to the connections 15.

rim of the wheel 3 is thin and has the spurs 4 around its periphery,said spurs being adapted to strike into the ice and propel thevelocipede when said wheel is revolved. The sprocket-wheel n is locatedbetween the right side of the hub 2 and the corresponding bifurcationsof the forks a and I), while the collars 5 5 for the braces 6 of theguard 7 encircle the axle 1 outside of the junction formed by the fork awith the fork 19, against which said collars are securely held by thenuts 8 8. The guard 7 covers about a third of the wheel 3 and preventsthe particles of ice picked up by the spurs 4: from being thrown ontothe rider.

The rear runner 9 supports practically the weight of the whole of therear part of the machine through the medium of the integral arms 10 and11 and the adjusting-arms 12, one set of these arms being upon each sideof the wheel 3. The arms 10 and 11 have their bases attached to the lugs13 on the runner 9 and at their junctions 14 they are pivoted to thearms 12. A segmental connection 15, having the pivotal point 14c for acenter, extends from the top of each arm 10 to the front edge of eacharm 11. Each connection 15 is provided with the slot 16 and scale 17.The upper ends of the arms 12'1oosely encircle the outer ends of theaxle 1 contiguous with the nuts 8, being held in place by the nuts 1818, and bolts 19 and nuts 20 are employed to rigidly clamp the lowerterminals of said arms The ends of the axle 1 are reduced in diameter toprovide a bearing-surface for the arms 12 outside of the threadedportions required for the nuts 8. The bolts 19 pass through the slots 16on the segmental connections 15, and the scales 17 on the latter enablethe arms 12 to be adjusted alike. The runner 9 has the slot 21 cut intothe same from the back end and extending longitudinally for nearlytwo-thirds the length of said runner, and the wheel 3 operates throughthis slot between each pair of arms 10, 11, and 12.

The forward runner 22 is connected with the fork f by the arms 23,pivoted at 2% to said fork and having their bases attached to therunner-lugs 25. The under edge of the runner 22 is curved longitudinallyfor its entire length in order to secure as short a bearingsurface onthe ice as practical, this bearingsurface being intermediate of the endsof the runner. The object of the construction noted above is to providea steering-runner that can be turned to the right or left by thesteering-post without scraping the ice as extensively as astraight-faced runner does, or, in other words, to produce a runner bymeans of which the steering capacity of my machine is enhanced.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that my velocipedeis supported on the runners 9 and 22 and driven by the spurred wheel 3,the power to propel and steer the vehicle being applied in precisely thesame manner as for a bicycle. Difierent surfaces of ice or frozen snowover which it is desired to use this machine require that the runner 9be adjusted relative to the wheel 3, so as to regulate the depth belowsaid runner to which the spurs 4 must be driven into the slipperysurface in order to produce the greatest speed with the least efiort. Byloosening the nuts 20 or grasping the free terminals or handles of thearms 12 and moving the latter on the axle 1 the arms 10 and 11, withattached runner, are elevated or depressed, according to the directiongiven said arms 12, swinging on the pivots 14. As the runner 9 iselevated the spurs 4 project farther below the former and cut deeperinto the ice. During the adjustment just referred to the stud 19 movesin the segmental slot 16, and when the desired height is reached thenuts 20 are retightened to secure the arms 12 to the connections 15, asbefore, care being taken to have said arms register with the same markson opposite scales 17 to insure a vertical position to the runner. Withthe present construction the runner 9 is carried forward slightly whenelevated and rearwardly when depressed.

I do not restrict myself to the specific means shown and described forsecuring the arms 12 to the connections 15, as it is obvious that aratchet or some other well-known means may be employed for the purposewithout departing from the spirit of my invention. Although for the sakeof cheapness and conven ience I prefer to use a frame and drivingmechanism common to bicycles, I have no intention of confining myinvention thereto,- as any frame and power device applicable andsuitable for the purpose may be employed with my improvements.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

In an ice-velocipede the combination of a suitable frame, apivotally-supported steering-runner at the front of the frame, a runnerat the rear of the frame, having a solid front portion and a slottedrear portion, a driving-wheel journaled at the rear end of the frame andformed with spurs on its perimeter which engage through the slot in therear runner, runner-supporting arms 10 and 11 having their lower endssuitably secured to the runner remote from each other and their upperends united, adjusting-arms 12 having their upper ends loosely mountedon the axle of the driving-wheel and their lower portions connected tothe union of the arms 10 and 11, and their lower ends extending belowtheir connection to the said arms 10 and 11, se mental connections 15,formed with slots, which are engaged by lugs or bolts on the free endsof the arms 12, whereby the rear runner may be adjusted up or down, allsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

WILFRID GUAY.

